Women’s Empowerment
Women are at the core of everything we do at ARPAN. Our efforts encompass the social, economic, political and cultural rights of women, contributing to their overall empowerment. Our work with marginalized women addresses key areas such as empowerment, single women’s issues, leadership and governance, land ownership and livelihoods, care and unpaid work, and combating violence against women.
Single Women’s Rights
Single women include those who have lost their husbands or partners, those who have remained unmarried, as well as women who are aged, abandoned, separated, or divorced. They face societal stigma and negative attitudes. Without a voice, dignity, or agency, many live in subservience and poverty. ARPAN has been committed to addressing the issues faced by single women for nearly a decade. Our work with single women is mainly- (i) to identify and mobilise them, (ii) to build their agency and leadership, (iii) to build platform for self-support and sisterhood, (iv) to enable access to government schemes and entitlements, and (v) to enable access to land and productive resources.
Women’s Leadership in Governance
Patriarchy heavily influences local self-governance at the Panchayat level, despite the reservation provided to women in elected positions. While the aim of reservation is to promote women’s participation in politics, in practice, male members control the decision-making process. In the hill regions, women, particularly from lower castes or indigenous community, have historically not participated in politics. Their participation in Panchayats remains largely symbolic.
Our work focusses on – (i) building capacities of women on development planning and administrative skills, (ii) strengthening leadership and decision-making abilities, (iii) fostering a deeper understanding of gender and social issues, and (iv) providing exposure to model Panchayats.
Women Agriculture, Land, and Livelihood
In the hill regions, high rates of male outmigration have led to the feminization of agriculture, with women performing most of the agricultural work but without the status of farmers, as they do not own the land. Livelihoods remain a critical issue for hill women, who, in addition to their heavy household care burdens, lack access to education and employment. Many women are forced to work as labourers in road construction and agriculture.
We work primarily towards – (i) building recognition for women as farmers, contributing to national policy discussions on women in agriculture, (ii) helping women access government schemes and entitlements, (iii) training women in organic farming and marketing, (iv) facilitating the formation of women farmers’ groups and producer cooperatives.
Women and Unpaid Work
Care work is a significant barrier to achieving gender equality, particularly in hill societies where women bear the brunt of ‘time poverty’. With the outmigration of men, women are left to manage not only childcare and livestock but also agricultural duties. Our work on this issue began with action research, in collaboration with UN Women, to quantify women’s time poverty and their unpaid work burden. We introduced both the gendered and economic dimensions of unpaid work, helping village women recognize their substantial contributions to both household and national economies.
On the issue of Unpaid Work, we aim to – (i) build awareness among both women and men about the unpaid work burden women face within the household, in agriculture, and in the marketing of agricultural and horticultural products; (ii) integrate unpaid work as a key topic in gender and women’s rights training programs; (iii) facilitate policy responses that reduce women’s care burden by improving access to government schemes for childcare and local development initiatives.
Violence against Women and Girls
Violence against women is on the rise in India, with nearly one-third of all such crimes being perpetrated by relatives and husbands. Child marriage and abuse also significantly undermine a child’s right to development and choice. The connection between women’s rights to land and resources and domestic violence is complex and significant. Our primary objective is to uphold the dignity of women and girls, empowering them to collectively combat all forms of violence and discrimination.
We – (i) provide immediate protection and safe shelter for women experiencing domestic violence, in coordination with local police; (ii) facilitate access to legal aid; (iii) offer counselling and follow-up support for ongoing cases; (iv) prevent child marriages and intervene when they occur, with police support, ensuring safe shelter and rehabilitation for affected girls.